Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-09-24
WEALTH, DEVELOPMENT AND CHURCH

"@--ALih, DEN tl.ofMENT AND CHURCH
WORK IN THE NORTHWEST.
In letter by Rev J. c. Holbrook. D. d.
who has lived many years upon this coast.
and now writes from Minneapolis. he saws
What changes has period of about one
generation effected in this great north
western section of the Union. | am now
in the midst of city of upwards of $50, 900
inhabitants, with another twin CITY" of
about equal size only ten miles distant (St.
Paull. Here | stood about forty years
ago. and, looking around, saw not a single
dwelling, but only-south, west and north
-unbroken prairie, and to the east the
great timber region Of northern Wisconsin.
Iowa was Il newly constituted Territory.
Just separated from Wisconsin; Minnesota
had no existence nor was there then a
single State or Territory organized north
or west of Iowa to the British Possessions
and the Pacific Ocean. Texas was not in
the Union, and California, Arizona and
New Mexico, including about one-fourth
Of the present area Of the United States
still belonged to Mexico. The war that
gave us that acquisition had not then oc-
Cured. There was not then a railroad
west of Chicago.
-ASSN'h Nifit IiiliN- WINK BtSlcF OF the
church i'll Dubuque, Iowa, | took yaca-
ton trip on one of the few steamers that
then piled on the upper Mississippi, chiefly
to carry supplies to Fort Smelling, near the
present site OF this city, then the frontier
military post Of the United States army.
and We did not see any signs of white set
tiers beyond the north line of Iowa and on
the west side of the river vt Red Wing,
about seventy miles south of here, we
landed at station of our foreign Mission
airy Board, and called on the Rev. Mr..
Williamson and his associates among the
Indians, and then, proceeding to Fort
Smelling, we spent a Sabbath there. On
Monday we visited the celebrated Mime
haha Falls and the Falls of St. Anthony.
and saw them in all their original pictur-
sequences and beauty. This has now all
disappeared from the latter, and both
banks of the river are lined with aour
mills and various manufactures. and the
former roar of the great cataract is
drowned by the clatter of machinery the
rattle of carriages and railroad cars, and
the scream Of the steam whistle.
As then stood by the falls and thought
OF the vast extent of country north and
west, | questioned whether it would BEGIN
to be occupied during the next hundred
years; and 10 in little more than
quarter OF that time the whole immense
region to Hudson's Bay and the Pacific
Ocean, including Manitoba has been or
gained into States and Territories. thou
sands OF farms are under cultivation in it.
hundreds of towns, and even scores ofcities,
have sprung into existence, two great rail
roads span the continent, besides inuumer
able minor ones which radiate in every
direction. All this within the brief pc
Rod of my ministry
One of the distinctive clements in the
prosperity Of this city is its manufacture of
flour, making it a great market for this
product of the finest wheat-growing regions
of the world. There are no less than
twenty-three Touring mills here the ca
pacity OF one of which is to turn out 1000
barrels day, while that of the whole is
over $4,000 day. Much of the flour goes
to Europe, once the granary of the world.
In 1886 the production of flour was G, 1856.
600 barrels, and in the month of April,
1887, 640,O95 barrels, according to the
Northwestern Miiler.
1t is cheering fact that Christian er-
terprise keeps pace with secular move
ments, and every town and settlement has
its churches. In this city and St. Paul are
to be found some of tie noblest houses Of
worship that adorn any city, nor is the
Congregational denomination behind the
resi- in its enterprise and liberalitv.
This is especially true of Plymouth
Church in this city, the Rev. C. I.
Th wing, formerly of Cambridge, Mass,
pastor. Its editice of stone is very COM
plete as well as beautiful, and among other
appurtenances it has free reading-room,
open every evening and furnished with
magazines and religious and daily papers.
The church also has its missions and branch
Sunday-schools, and gives special attention
to the work among the Scandinavians, of
whom there are some 10000 in the city.
| notice one custom which is very pleas
ing in this church. On the Tuesday even
ing preceding the regular communion sea-
son Is held covenant meeting when
those who are to unite with the church on
confession or by letter are expected to be
present. As their names are called they
rise, that all may see them, and brief adj
dress is made to them by the pastor, who
commends them also to the acquaintance
and fellowship Of the members, and then
leads in prayer for them especially. The
covenant is then read, and the pastor an
nounces that the names of the candidates
will be found in printed list in the pews
on the Sabbath. 1t is also an excellent
practice in this church to distribute in all
the pews 4 printed leatlet on which are all
the hymns to be used and the words of the
anthems and other pieces sung by the
choir, and the text of the sermon and the
order of exercises. Another little leafet
contains the notices and programme of
work and meetings for the week.